Al-Haddad Union loses to Mechelen despite the lightning start

Union Saint-Gilloise lost the lead in the First Division. At KV Mechelen, Dante Vanzer scored after 11 seconds, but the Brussels team lost 3-1. This is the second loss in five league matches for Al Ittihad, which is now fourth in the standings.

Union started its first season at the highest level in nearly half a century with 9 out of 12. In their fifth match, the Brussels residents made an ever-complicated visit to KV Mechelen, who had lost their last three league matches. A win would put Union alone at the top of the standings for at least one week, after defeating co-captain KV Oostende.

But the preparation was not optimal. In the home of coach Phyllis Matsu, he mourned the death of his mother. “It affected the group of players severely, also,” his assistant Karel Girats said previously. “Phil is an emotional person, he doesn’t hide it. The players will want to support him with a good performance. They stand behind him.”

Matsuo just signed up for Mechelen. Before kick-off, his players surrounded him with a white shirt with the message “Coach of Courage” on it. At that moment, a poignant minute of silence was interrupted in the stadium, followed by thunderous applause from the home fans. How fortunate that football has a human face too.

And whether the union wants to support his coach. The match had barely begun when the skin was already in the ropes. With his first ball test, Undav sent his brother, striker Dante Vanzer, to the street. He could only get close to the goalkeeper, and he did not fail against his former club: 1-0 after just 11 seconds, the third-fastest goal ever in the First Division. The scorer fell into the arms of the moving Matsu, who thanked him with a kiss on his forehead.

The visitors – who started with the same eleven as in the demonstration against KV Kortrijk – could not enjoy the lead for long. After a modest defense, Labusin handed the whip on his Sixteen awkwardly. Kuipers was able to criticize and bring KV Mechelen along with more luck than skill. His shot deflected and landed on the post. Twelve minutes later, everything behind the barracks can be reconstructed.

The union did not have an under market in the occasional manly competition. Ball losses piled up, but the Brussels team remained the most dangerous team. Kendos was allowed to head into the goal with a corner kick, but went too far. Also when former FA Pear gave the ball to Vanzier under pressure from Undav for his goalkeeper, KV Mechelen slipped 1-2. From two metres, the energetic striker made a poor decision on goalkeeper Coucke.

After the break, KV Mechelen’s fighter shot a sharp shot from the first blocks. The host team took advantage of Brussels’ weakness and suddenly appeared in front of the goal with Merabti. And the faltering Maurice slipped off the goal. The guild’s response was not long overdue. Vanzer hit a semi-losing cross over the crossbar with a volley.

The match went well up and down and a goal was suspended in the air. A sharp, blind pass of Schoofs landed at the feet of Shved, who had completely lost his sight by Lapoussin. Completely separated, he hits the flogging under control and simultaneously: 2-1. Union on a rhombus hunt. Mechelen’s buttocks drooled again after a minute. He cut through the defense, but found the post in his path.

Cover on the nose

Gasping for breath, the union relied on a genius idea, the attacking brothers Undav and Vanzeir. About an hour they fired again at the target. Coucke has held out at the shooting range twice. On the flip side, fellow Maurice had to show his tricks. Storm stepped high and the skin nearly flipped over the goalkeeper through his body, but Morris fell backwards and hit the ball into the corner.

The people of Brussels searched diligently for a tie. Nielsen’s long shot was trapped just above the target. And the scenes for Undav, Lapoussin and alternate Nieuwkoop weren’t as sharp. Al Ittihad got a nose cap fifteen minutes before the time due to an intense desire to attack. Storm took advantage of the space to hit 3-1 hard in the short corner and completely close the books.

Thus KV Mechelen won the match in an intense duel with varying chances. The Federation swallows another defeat for the first time since the end of November 2020. Matsu’s forces now have to leave Eupen’s leading position, and the Federation drops to fourth. Next week he will visit Standard Duden Park.